Talked to an old backpacker at REI who made me rethink my whole sleep system

I was in the tent section last weekend and this guy in his 70s starts chatting with me. He asked what pad I use and I said my big inflatable one that weighs almost 3 pounds. He just laughed and said he uses a thin foam pad from the 80s and sleeps better than me. It hit different because I've been chasing comfort with all this heavy gear... but he's been doing this longer than I've been alive. Now I'm wondering if I'm overcomplicating things with my setup. Has anyone else downsized their pad and actually liked it more?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo56721d agoTop Commenter

Does that foam pad not wreck your back though?

perez.thea21d ago

Ask him how old his foam pad actually is though. Like if he's been using the same piece of foam for 30 years, it's probably flattened out to basically nothing by now. I tried a thin foam pad once on a week long trip and woke up with my hips screaming at me every morning. Did he say anything about actually replacing pads over the years or is he one of those guys who just deals with the discomfort?